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s_evan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This is the second book of Lacey's I've read and it's brilliant and unsettling. She's able to comment on so much: at the fore it's commentary on what people (men?) seek in relationships (from women?) to meet their own needs; it's also about fame and nobodyness, family of origin, what we do for money, how our past can be present. There are so many layers I was compelled to go back over the story to reflect on all these pages contain.
This would make a great discussion book, tho likely polarizing based on what I'm ready of how Lacey lands w folks. I'm def a fan!
(And yet, if Biography of X is a 5, this is a 4, but it's also a 4.75 compared to most other books. These ratings are 🤷🏻)
This would make a great discussion book, tho likely polarizing based on what I'm ready of how Lacey lands w folks. I'm def a fan!
(And yet, if Biography of X is a 5, this is a 4, but it's also a 4.75 compared to most other books. These ratings are 🤷🏻)
coffee_some_more's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
readingintheruins's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
conbini's review against another edition
1.0
I can usually finish a book within a week. A day or two if it peaks my interest. This book took me a month to finish. I won’t even try to summarize the novel as it would be nearly impossible to make it cohesive. Most of the novel is opaque and filled with existentialist prose that I tired of about halfway through. I’m sure it was a creative choice to leave more questions than answers but it just didn’t work for me.
wrathofglasses's review against another edition
2.0
There's nothing wrong with the book or the writing...it just wasn't for me.
chillcox15's review against another edition
4.0
The Answers, by Catherine Lacey, is interested in the tough philosophical questions at the intersection of our modern conceptions of love and technology. The novel seeks to interrogate these questions from a boldly female viewpoint, featuring an obstinately disengaged female protagonist at the helm of the narrative. This alone makes it a nice pairing with another novel from this year, Alissa Nutting's Made for Love. Made for Love may have the slight edge up here, though, because The Answers' Mary Parsons is not only disengaged, but disengaging. There were a few times that her actions or behavior just didn't jibe (and even if that was intentional, it did hamper the environment of the novel). That being said, those character-based false notes didn't hinder the rich development of ideas at the heart of The Answers, making it a worthwhile read.
chelsieyork's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
readingintheether's review against another edition
2.0
I can't deny that Catherine Lacey is a talented writer, but this book fell SO flat.
gabipowell's review against another edition
3.0
I'm struggling to rate this book, because I want to separate the writing from the story. Lacey crafts her words exquisitely. However, the actual story felt a bit disorganized and incomplete, as though the last half were written for time.
I found the PAKing bit an unnecessary tangent of the story about The Girlfriend Experiment and feel both could've had stand-alone stories.
The Answers posed some important + relevant questions about the impending realities of modern romance. I was intrigued by the similar theories presented in Touch by Courtney Maum.
I found the PAKing bit an unnecessary tangent of the story about The Girlfriend Experiment and feel both could've had stand-alone stories.
The Answers posed some important + relevant questions about the impending realities of modern romance. I was intrigued by the similar theories presented in Touch by Courtney Maum.